Last Updated: Thursday, 15-Jan-98 11:35:18

CONTENTS

Nikos Maziotis, arrested after his fingerprint was found on a bomb planted
at the development ministry on December 6th, has been charged with illegal
possession of explosives.

After following Maziotis for nearly 40 days, police arrested him Tuesday
morning.

A day after he was arrested, Nikos Maziotis has been charged with
manufacturing, possessing, and distributing bombs; the attempted bombing of
the development ministry on December 6th; and with possession of firearms.

Charges he denies. The three guns found in his house aren't is, he told the
prosecutor; nor are the explosives. He has never manufacutured a bomb or
planted one.

Of note is the fact that Maziotis has not been charged with illegal group
activities, meaning the police don't have enough to directly implicate him
as a member of a terrorist organisation.

In a pre-dawn swoop in four parts of Athens Tuesday, Maziotis and 15 other
people were picked up by anti- terrorist police. Only Maziotis has been
charged in connection with terrorist activities. Of the other 15, only two
men have both been charged, but with offences unrelated to terrorism.

Police launched their operation after following Maziotis for over a month.
His fingerprint matches that found on the bomb that was planted at the
development ministry on December 6th but never went off.

That bomb was planted by a group calling itself the Anarchist Urban
Guerrillas. To date, that is the organisation's only appearance.

But four days after that failed attack, a bomb exploded a the office of the
development minister. The Combatant Guerrilla Faction claimed
responsibility for that blast, the group's sixth attack.

In both cases, the reason given for the bombings was the government's
decision to reopen mines in northern Greece.

That and literature found at Maziotis's home, raided Tuesday morning by
police, lead the police to suspect a connection between the two small
terrorist organisations.

27-year-old Maziotis is well known to the police: he refused to serve in
the military on the ground that he was a conscientious objector; and was
arrested during disturbances in Athens in 1995.

Maziotis has also taken part in the occupation of a number of vacant
buildings in Athens and turning them into communes.

When police raided Maziotis's home Tuesday, they

found three firearms, explosives, and masks. They also found an army
canteen, similar to the one in which the December 10th bomb at the
development minister's office was placed.

Among the papers found at Maziotis's residence was a poster bearing the
legend, "Rebellion is always just".

After a delay of 24 hours, the Turkish government expressed its regret at
the death of a Greek- orthodox sexton in Constantinople. 73 year old
Vasilis Haviaropoulos was found murdered at a chapel near the cathedral of
Agia Sophia Tuesday.

The chapel was also vandalised and looted.

Turkish foreign ministry spokesman Netzati Outkan said Wednesday he
believes the perpetrators will be arrested.

Earlier, the Greek consul in Constantinople lodged a formal written
complaint with the city over the murder, after city officials refused to
see him.

In his letter, the Greek consul notes Greece's concern about ongoing
attacks on institutions belonging to Greeks and on orthodox churches in
Constantinople.

Greece is asking Turkey to launch a full investigation of the latest crime.

Turkish police have pulled people in for questioning, but so far have no
leads.

It appears though, that a gang of Turkish thieves has targetted small
orthodox chapels which contain items of value, such as the silver plated
icons stolen from the chapel where HaviarO-poulos was killed.

Last week we aired the story about a fourteen year old girl who had lost
part of a leg and the abilty to walk to meningitis a year ago.

Even before the story ended, Antenna president Minos Kyriakou had announced
that he would pay for the medical treatment that would allow Katerina
Trombouki to walk again.

On Wednesday, Katerina underwent an operation on both her legs at the
Athens Medical Center.

Continually informed of the little girl's health, Antenna president Minos
Kyriakou and president of Athens Medical center Giorgos Apostolopoulos
agreed over the weekend that the operation should take place as soon as
possible.

On Wednesday, Apostolopoulos told Katerina their main goal is to get her up
and walking. He explained that they need to rehabilate both of her legs for
her to be able to walk properly. Katerina's right leg had to be amputated
below the knee after she was stricken by meningitis, and she will be fitted
for a prosthetic leg.

Apostolopoulos told Katerina "Mr. Kyriakou is extremely interested in
helping you to get well; that means getting the necessary medical equipment
and proper physical therapy.

The operation carried out by orthopedic surgeon Ioannis Vlahos and plastic
surgeon Sotiris

Koutsogiorgas on Wednesday was a success.

Vlahos explained why it was necessary to operate on both of Katerina's
legs. He said, "There were problems with the fibula on the leg that was
amputated. We needed to remove a portion so that the prosthetic leg will
fit in easily".

Katerina's left leg was left permanently bent at a 45-degree angle by her
illness. In correcting that, says her doctor, we inserted a device that
resembles a compass which will gradually reduce the anchylosis by one
degree per day". The alternative was to cut into the leg, which carries the
risk of creating future blood pressure problems. Katerina won't have to be
in the hospital for the 45 days it will take the inserted device to clear
up the problem. She'll be in physical therapy, learning to walk.

Vlachos believes Katerina will be able to stand and move about on her legs
in ten days. The girl will be fitted for a prosthetic leg.

The Greek men are on the verge of winning a medal in water polo at th world
swimming championships in Perth Australia.

The Greeks beat the defending world champion USA 3-2 to earn a place in the
semifinals. Greece comes from behind twice and gets its winning goal in the
fourth quarter of the contest.

The US beat Greece in the last world cup final, so the Greek victory is
sweeter than ever.

Things didn't go quite as well for the Greek women, who missed a chance to
go to the semis by losing an 8-6 decision to Brazil. Nonetheless, the Greek
women did well enough in Perth to qualify for the next polo world cup in
1999.

In pro basketball, Panathinaikos has virtually assured itself a place in
the round of 16 in the European Cup tournament.

Pao beat Germany's Leverkouzen 86-64 in the first of two meetings between
them. For Apollon, the round of 16 is looking rather distant. It will have
a hard time overcoming its 101-84 first-leg loss to Israel's Haboel.